Matt Gilroy named chief major gifts officer at Defiance College

January 21, 2014

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College announced recently that Matt Gilroy has joined the Office of Institutional
Advancement as senior major gifts officer.

Well-known in the community, Gilroy previously held the positions of executive director
of the ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital Foundation and assistant director of the
Defiance County Community Improvement Corporation.

“Matt will be exceptional in his new role because he is someone who shares in the
vision of the college as an alumnus, a citizen of the Defiance community and a seasoned
fundraising professional,” said Wendy Pestrue, vice president for institutional advancement.
“We are incredibly fortunate he has chosen to join our team and look forward to working
with him.”

Gilroy is a 2002 DC alumnus and currently serves as president of the Defiance County
Airport Authority. He is a Rotary of Defiance board member and deacon at St. John
United Church of Christ.

“As a Defiance College grad, I strongly believe that it is the responsibility of alumni
and the Defiance community to support current and future students to provide them
with the best opportunity to succeed,” said Gilroy. “Defiance College offers life-transforming
experiences to its students. I can definitively say that my life is much better thanks
to the experiences that I had on the DC campus and through the opportunities offered
to me while a student at Defiance College. I am looking forward to paying it forward
as the senior major gifts officer.”

Gilroy resides in rural Defiance with his wife, Jennie, and daughter.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in
Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate
programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition
for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.